Student Profiles

Hear what students have to say about GUCL

My dream of becoming attorney has been 25 years in the making. When I made the decision to obtain my law degree, my criteria was simple: I wanted to be in a school that would provide a solid legal education while being able to maintain my day job, and be around classmates who are equally dedicated to the same goals.

GUCL will tell you right off the bat – It's a four year commitment. It's not going to be easy. But it will be doable. And they have certainly met every expectation and then some. The faculty is solid and will provide you with a solid but challenging law school experience with realistic expectations of what to expect when you finish school. The Dean is here every day of the week, and it’s not uncommon for him to stop by and check in on how you’re doing.

It does take a lot of support from home life and work life to get through this. I'm halfway through pursuing the dream, and I’ve been able to do so with a full time management level career. You'll miss a lot of your TV shows and fun things you used to do, but the reward from the hard work here in the classroom pays off from the very start!

Michael Chuah, Class of 2017

I migrated to the U.S. back in 2011 after living in the Philippines for 21 years. Within the first few months, I felt that the chances of going to law school and becoming a lawyer would be very slim, if not impossible. I had to work full time immediately and adjust to living in a new country.

A year later, I came across GUCL and I instantly knew that the school was meant and fit for me. I was working in Glendale and didn't have a car back then but because of GUCL's proximity, it was easy to get to and from school by public transportation. GUCL also offered affordable tuition compared to other law schools which took a huge burden off my shoulder.

I took a leap of faith, enrolled, and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The institution constantly pushes its students to reach their full potential. The Deans are very approachable and are always ready to give academic guidance. The professors are lawyers and judges who are erudite and proficient in their respective fields. They impart their vast knowledge of the law and experience to the students during class. Moreover, because of the small class size, each student has the opportunity to exchange views with the professor. Also, the students are all very eager and motivated to learn which fosters a very scholarly atmosphere.

I am so grateful to have come across GUCL. The school has been my second home in the U.S. It helped me ease into a new environment by providing an avenue to interact and connect with students and professors.

Fast forward to present time, I am three-fourths into my 2nd year and I'm still working full time. It's a challenge doing both and I'm sure it will not get any easier in the coming years but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I am confident that with hard work and GUCL's guidance, I will ultimately be able to reach my goals.

Aldie Martinez, Class of 2017

Working and going to school is not ideal, but some people have no choice. GUCL makes it possible for those who want to advance their legal career, but do not have the luxury of focusing on school, and only school. Sure, it is tough, but being an attorney is not easy. GUCL gives everyone an opportunity to prove themselves. It allows the busy, but serious students, to excel in a law school program they would not otherwise be able to undertake.

I started my journey at GUCL ready to work hard and keep ahead of the curve. What I did not expect was the support system GUCL fostered. It is odd to think of your law school cohorts as being supportive, but that is what they are – supportive. The Dean once said during orientation, "it takes a village to finish law school." I did not know it at the time, but he was referring to student/peer support as well as family support. These people become some of your best friends during your four years of law school together. We help each other out so that we can all graduate and succeed together. GUCL makes all this possible.

Lastly, I tip my hat, not just to the students who have completed their JD at GUCL, but also to GUCL’s faculty. GUCL is unique in that real attorneys, judges, and magistrates make up its professorial staff. These professors teach, not for a living, but because they want to help a student further their legal career goals. They take time out of their already busy schedule to help us. Not only do they teach us about the law, they teach us how to think like an attorney and impart real-life experiences on us throughout our four-year tenure. As students here, we are given many opportunities to form valuable personal and professional connections with each of GUCL’s professors. Connections aside, however, I truly believe they have a vested interest in us. They want us to do well and are keeping tabs on our success stories. It is both an honor and privilege to be mentored by them.

Sybil Leung, Class of 2016

Glendale University College of Law has provided me with an opportunity to become an attorney that I would not otherwise have had working as a full time legal secretary at a law firm recently out of undergrad.

The year I graduated with my bachelor's degree, the economy had been in a recession for the past 5 years and had not shown any signs of improving. Because of this, despite the abundance of law schools in Southern California, I was unwilling to bury myself further into debt. Still, I refused to sacrifice my dream of becoming a lawyer, so I continued my search for an affordable law school. The answer came to me when the partner of the law firm for which I was working recommended GUCL, his alma mater, to me.

GUCL is a gem. Yes, it is affordable and yes, it is designed to be accessible to the full-time working person. However, in addition to that, the school offers a learning environment meant to guide its students to success on the bar exam. The school's faculty is exceptional and the quality of education they offer is reflective of that fact. Judges and working attorneys teach the subjects with ease and competence. This allows students to fully understand the material in both technical and practical terms.

The School's staff is helpful and attentive to each individual student on a personal level. The deans know each student by name and are always encouraging students to excel in their studies.

The small class sizes allow the students to bond through four years of common struggles and shared dreams. My classmates have learned to work together; cooperating with one another with the mindset of making sure all of us graduate and eventually pass the bar. I have made friendships in my class which I know will last a lifetime.

GUCL has turned me into a full-fledged law student. I have had late-night study sessions in the GUCL, I have celebrated personal victories there, and I have also shed tears of frustrations within its corridors. Through it all, the encouragement I have received during these past three years from the faculty, staff and student body has been unyielding. GUCL has challenged me to the very core of my being in a way I never thought I could ever be challenged and still survive, but it is also the reason I will be taking my bar exam next year and the reason I know I will be victorious.